Customer service: using polite language to handle complaints
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Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Can you remember a time when a company gave you excellent customer service? What happened and how did it make you feel?
- Think about a time you were unhappy with a product or service. What did you do, and what was the result?
- What do you think are the most important skills for someone working in customer service? Why?
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Handling a Customer Complaint
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
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Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01[This question and all others in this block are invalid. They should be replaced with questions about the content of the source article, for example: 'According to the article, what is the first step a company should take when a customer complains?']
Sample answerThe lesson focuses on modal verbs. These are words like 'could', 'can', 'would', and 'may' that you use to make polite requests and offers.
02What are some of the key vocabulary words the article mentions for customer service?
Sample answerIt mentions a few nouns like 'complaint', 'empathy', 'inconvenience', and 'solution', and also the verb 'resolve'.
03Why does the article say it is important to use modal verbs in customer service?
Sample answerBecause it makes your language softer and more professional. It helps you to be polite and not sound too direct when talking to a customer.
04In what kind of real-world situation does the article suggest students can use the phrases they learn?
Sample answerThey can use them when they need to respond to a customer who is unhappy, for example, if a product is broken or the service was bad.
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Key vocabulary for customer service
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you communicate more naturally and professionally when dealing with customers.
Examples
Look into the matter — to investigate or examine a problem or situation.
Usage note: This is a polite and professional phrase to use when a customer tells you about a problem. It shows you are taking them seriously.
Get back to someone — to contact a person again at a later time, usually with an answer or more information.
Usage note: Use this to manage expectations. For example, 'I need to check with my manager, but I will get back to you this afternoon.'
A gesture of goodwill — a small gift, discount, or special action offered to an unhappy customer to show you are sorry and value their business.
Usage note: This is often offered after a complaint has been resolved. For example, 'As a gesture of goodwill, we'd like to offer you a 10% discount on your next purchase.'
Sort it out — to solve a problem or deal with a situation successfully.
Usage note: This phrasal verb is common in spoken English. It's slightly less formal than 'resolve the issue' but is perfectly fine in most customer service situations.
Go the extra mile — to make a special effort to do more than is expected in order to help someone.
Usage note: This idiom is often used to describe excellent customer service. For example, 'Our support team always goes the extra mile for our customers.'
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Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01Thank you for letting us know about the problem. We will the matter immediately and find out what happened.
02As a of goodwill for the inconvenience, we'd like to offer you a 15% discount on your next purchase.
03We are doing everything we can to this problem for you as quickly as possible.
04We value your as it helps us to improve our services for all our customers.
05I don't have the answer right now, but I will check with my manager and to you by the end of the day.
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Grammar: Modal verbs for polite requests and offers
Grammar
In customer service, it's important to sound polite and helpful. We use modal verbs like 'could', 'can', 'would', and 'may' to make requests and offers sound less direct and more professional. This helps create a positive conversation, even when dealing with a complaint.
Examples
Could you please explain the problem with your device?
We use 'could' to make a polite request. It is softer and more formal than 'Can you...?'
Would you like me to connect you with a manager?
'Would you like...' is a standard, polite way to make an offer. It is much better than the direct question 'Do you want...?'
May I have your email address to send the confirmation?
'May' is a very formal and polite way to ask for permission. It is often used in professional or business situations.
Key points
- Use 'could' and 'would' to make your requests and offers more polite.
- Use 'may I...?' for very formal situations when asking for permission.
- Avoid direct commands like 'Tell me your name'. Always use a modal verb to soften the request.
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Find the mistake
Read the sentences below. They are all related to customer service situations.
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01I received your complain about the late delivery yesterday.
Corrected version
I received your complain complaint about the late delivery yesterday.
02Would you mind to wait a moment while I check your account details?
Corrected version
Would you mind to wait waiting a moment while I check your account details?
03Our team will look on the matter and contact you as soon as possible.
Corrected version
Our team will look on into the matter and contact you as soon as possible.
04I promise I will get back to you with an answer until Friday.
Corrected version
I promise I will get back to you with an answer until by Friday.
05Our customer service department always go the extra mile for our clients.
Corrected version
Our customer service department always go goes the extra mile for our clients.
06As a gesture of a goodwill, we would like to offer you a discount code.
Corrected version
As a gesture of a goodwill, we would like to offer you a discount code.
07I am very sorry for the inconvenience this have caused you.
Corrected version
I am very sorry for the inconvenience this have has caused you.
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Useful phrases: responding to a customer complaint
Vocabulary
When a customer is unhappy, it's important to be polite, show you understand, and explain how you will help. Use these phrases to handle complaints professionally and effectively.
Examples
"I can see why you're upset." — to show empathy and validate the customer's feelings.
Register: Neutral. Use this at the very beginning of the conversation, right after the customer explains their problem. It shows you are listening and you care.
"I'm very sorry for the trouble this has caused you." — to give a sincere and direct apology.
Register: Neutral to formal. Use this after you understand the problem. It's more personal and professional than just saying "I'm sorry."
"Let me take care of that for you." — to take ownership of the problem and reassure the customer.
Register: Neutral. Use this phrase to show you are taking personal responsibility for finding a solution. It makes the customer feel they are in good hands.
"Could you tell me a bit more about what happened?" — to politely ask for more details.
Register: Neutral. This is a soft way to ask for information. Using "a bit more" makes it sound less demanding than "Tell me what happened."
"Here's what we can do to make things right." — to introduce a solution or a set of options.
Register: Neutral. Use this when you are ready to propose a solution. The phrase "make things right" is a common and positive way to talk about fixing a problem.
"How does that sound to you?" — to check if the customer agrees with your proposed solution.
Register: Neutral. Use this after you have offered a solution. It invites the customer to respond and makes the conversation a collaboration, not a command.
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Key customer service vocabulary
Learn some common words and phrases for talking about customer service problems.
Match each term on the left with its correct definition on the right.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Imagine a customer is very angry, but the problem is their own fault. Should the company still offer 'a gesture of goodwill' to keep them happy, or is it better to explain why the company is not responsible?
- Thinking about your country, is it more common for companies to 'go the extra mile' for customers, or is the service usually just 'good enough'? Can you give an example?
- Many companies now use AI chatbots to handle complaints. Do you think a chatbot can truly show empathy and 'sort out' a problem effectively, or is a human always better? Why?